Car-door.



v. B. STURTSMAN.

CAR DOOR.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 15,1918.

I Patantedl Jana M, 1919.

M Wwkoz My MG 42 WW mm WITNE SSES a citizen of the United States, residing at lit VIRGEL IB. S'IUBTSMAN, 0F EL'WOOD, INDIANA.

CAB-DOOR.

Specification 0t Letter! latent.

Application filed July 15, 1918. Serial No. 245,067".

.7 '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, Vinoni. B. STURTSMAN,

Elwood, in the county of Madison and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Doors, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to car doors for railway cars of the box type used chiefly for hauling grain, fertilizer, and like commodity in. bulk, the purpose being to provide a sectional door which admits ot the sections being successively closed or opened as the car is loaded or unloaded.

The invention has for its primary purpose to facilitate the loading and unloading of railway cars and to reduce the labor incident to such work to the smallest amount possible.

The invention has for its object chieflv to provide a sectional door in which the sections are arranged one above the other so that when loading a car the sections may be moved into closed position as the car fills, thereby avoiding unnecessary lift of the material. Conversely when unloading the car the sections are successively drawn aside as the car is unloaded thereby preventing any waste of material because t e lower portion of the door-way remains closed until the level of the material justifies moving the roper section so as to expose more ot' the cor space.

The drawing illustrates a preferred embodiment of the invention; however, it is to be understood that in adapting the same to meet difl'erent conditions, various changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the nature of the invention as claimed hereinafter.

' Tn the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side view 0t part of a box car provided with a sectional door embodying the invention,

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 2-2 ot Fig. 1, looking to the right,

Fig. 3 is av detail view of a portion of one of the doqr sections and the parts cooperati-ng therewith,

Fig. 4 is a detail view of aportion of thed upright showing a supporting roller, an I Fig. 5 is a detail perspective View of parts of the threshold strip.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followin description and indicated in the several views of the drawing by like reference characters.

The numeral 1 designates part of the side of a box car provided with a door opening 2. The door for closing the opening 2 comprises a plurality of like sections it. These sections are arranged one above the other with edge portions overlapped so as to maintain close joints which prevent any escape of material. llt is to be understood that the door ma comprise any number of sections and the atter unitedly close the door opening 2 when all the sections are moved into closed position. Each of the sections A will be provided with tastening means at any nature so that when the sections are closed they may be secured against casual opening.

The door sections A may be constructed ot any material but it is preferred to term the same ol sheet metal of proper gage. The door sections A have longitudinal portions pressed laterally in o posite directions to term ribs 3 and t w ich'are hollow, the spaces constituting grooves or ways for receivin supportin and directin elements. The r1 s 3 and t h ewise stid'en t e sections thereby enabling the same to be constructed ot material of relatively light gage. The door sections may be constructed in any manner and while it is preferred to have the sections ot uniform width, nevertheless the widths may vary it tound most advantageous. The door sections A are slidable longitudinally and move between uprights 5 and 6 which are spaced apart a distance to admit ot the sections moving freely between them.

The door sections are supported andmaintained in roper position by rollers 7 and cleats 8. he cleats 8 are secured to the inner face ot the upright 6 and are positioned to enter the grooves or ways formed in the hollow sides of the ribs t. The rollers are mounted upon theupright 5 and are positioned so as to enter the grooves or ways formed in the hollowsides of the ribs 3. The upper edge portions of---the door sections are ofiset so that the edges of the overlapping portions abutagainst shoulders formed by lateral oflset parts 0f the sec- Patented Jan. 14., 1919.

and

tions. This results in maintaining close joints and also in having the door sections mutually support one another in addition to the supporting and guiding means 7 A threshold strip 9 is secured to the floor of the car in line with the door opening 2 and is provided with a groove 10 in its upper side to receive the lower edge of the lowermost door section, whereby the close joint is maintained. A plate 11 is secured to the lower side of the transom of the door openings and an edge portion is bent so as to overlap the upper edge portion of the topmost door section.

In operation as the car is loaded the door sections are successively drawn into closed position, thereby obviating the necessity for unnecessary lifting of the material. When unloading the car the door sections are suecessively moved into open position from top to bottom, thereby preventing any Waste of material and likewise avoiding unnecessary lifting. It will thus be understood the car may be loaded and unloaded with a minimum amount of labor being expended.

Havin thus fully described my invention, What I ciim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A door, comprising a plurality of longitudinally slidable sections having the longitudinal edge portions of adjacent sections overlapping, one of the overlapping edge portions being odset and forming a shoulder which engages the edge of the companion porting elements engaging the said grooves.

2. A door, comprising a plurality of longitudinall slidable sections having their adjacent lhngitudinal edge portions overlapping, one of-the overlapping edges being onset to provide a shoulder which engages the edge of the companion overlapping edge portion, and each of the sections having grooves pressed laterally therefrom in opposite directions, one of the laterally pressed portions forming a shoulder to engage the edge of the ofi'set overla ping portion of the adjacent section, uprig its upon opposite sides of the sections, strips secured to one of the uprights and engaging the grooves in one side of the respective sections, and rollers mountedon the other upright and engaging the grooves in the sides of the sections.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of tWo witnesses.

VIRGEL B. STURTSMAN.

Witnesses:

ALFRED J. HARTING, CLAUDE D. ZIRKLE. 

